About this episode

Randall Kenneth Jones interviews acclaimed author Patrick Ryan about his novel 'Buckeye' and the creative process behind it.

Listening to the ON THE KNOWS podcast with master interviewer Randall Kenneth Jones as he sits down with acclaimed author Patrick Ryan is a must for fans of literary fiction, family sagas, and deep-dive storytelling. This 2026 interview explores the creative process behind Ryan's expansive 2025 novel, Buckeye, a "Read With Jenna" book club pick that spent multiple weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Patrick Ryan's book "Buckeye" was named the #1 Best Book of the Year for 2025 by Amazon editors. This top honor recognizes his novel as the leading title on their annual list of top books. Why You Should Listen to This Episode • Behind the Scenes of a Bestseller: Discover how Patrick Ryan spent eight years crafting Buckeye, drawing inspiration from his own family's history and a shocking decades-old secret involving his grandmother in a small Ohio town. • The Art of "The Know": Host Randall Kenneth Jones is celebrated for his ability to ask "questions no one else can ask," moving beyond standard press junket talk to uncover the "little truths" that define his guests, his characters, and their shared belief systems. • Deep Themes of Forgiveness and Grief: The conversation…

People in this episode

Host: Randall Kenneth Jones

Guest: Patrick Ryan

Topics covered

• literary fiction
• creative process
• family sagas
• forgiveness
• grief
• American history

Keywords

• Patrick Ryan
• Buckeye
• literary success
• New York Times bestseller
• family history
• forgiveness
• grief
• American history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: New York Times, Amazon

Books & works: Buckeye

Places: Ohio

More episodes of ON THE KNOWS with Randall Kenneth Jones

• 219: Pat Benatar KNOWS Words, Music, Priorities, Perseverance, Curiosity & Creativity · April 17, 2026 · 39 min
• 218: Susan Bennett KNOWS The Arts, Humanities, Creativity, Connection & Siri · April 1, 2026 · 33 min
• 217: Tina Chiang KNOWS Risk, Reward, Faith, Purpose, BritBox & Sister Boniface Mysteries · March 11, 2026 · 53 min
• 216: Rebecca Newberger Goldstein KNOWS Philosophy, Emotion, Education, Humanities & What it Means to Truly Matter · February 19, 2026 · 51 min
• 214: Scott Eyman KNOWS Hollywood, Perception, Reality, Film History, and Joan Crawford · January 22, 2026 · 41 min
• 213: John Abendshien KNOWS Movies, Healthcare, Curiosity Gone Wild, Human Nature, Kevin McCallister & Home Alone Home Ownership · December 19, 2025 · 34 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the ON THE KNOWS with Randall Kenneth Jones podcast page.